Free Things to Do in Denver (and Beyond) This Weekend

The weather may have turned cold, but this weekend looks hot! Saturday is Record Store Day, and deals abound. Winter Park will host its last ski day on Sunday, but Loveland and A-Basin are still open, and Copper Mountain just announced it will continue into May. Down in town, there are block parties in RiNo and on South Broadway tomorrow.

For more options, check our list of activities worth the price of admission. Now keep reading for free things to do in Denver (and beyond).

This Weekend

Reimagining Africa’s Future: The Sustainable Development in Africa Conference
Friday, April 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sie Complex, Room 5025, 2201 South University, University of Denver
The Sustainable Development in Africa Conference brings academics and cultural leaders together to address pressing African challenges and opportunities. This year’s theme is “Reimagining Africa’s Future Through Democracy, Economic Growth, and Youth Innovation.” The conference is presented by the Africa Center and Students for Africa group at the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs at the University of Denver. Admission is free; get the full schedule and register here.

The Cancer Journals Aloud
Friday, April 17, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
CU Art Museum, 1085 18th Street, Boulder
Head to the CU Art Museum for a public reading by students and other CU reps of The Cancer Journals (1980) by Audre Lorde, “Black, lesbian, warrior, mother, and poet,” in conversation with Hollis Sigler’s lithograph I Find Hope on the Horizons of my Tomorrows (1996). Following the program, the art museum will host a short reception. Registration required here.
 

Open Mic Night for the Literary Arts
Friday, April 17, 7 p.m.
Cottonwood Center for the Art, 427 East Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs
Jacqueline Viola Moulton hosts this open mike. Participants are limited to seven minutes, and must follow the month’s theme: “That’s keep ya busy.”

Black on Purpose: Joint Community Organization Discussion & Candidates Forum
Saturday, April 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Clayton College Early Learning Administration Building, 3801 East MLK Jr. Boulevard
Join community leaders, elected officials and organizations from across Colorado for a discussion of faith, business, education, civic leadership and grassroots organizations, all focused on the theme:  “Now & Next for Black Citizens in Colorado: Vision, Voice & a Viable Plan of Action.” There will be candidates’ forums as well as panels and other discussions. Learn more here.

Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles Super Saturday Sprint
Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
DMV offices in Aurora, Centennial, Westgate and Westminster
Tired of waiting to get your driver’s license? The DMV is offering four Saturday service dates this spring, starting today (the others are May 2 and May 16). According to Driver Services Director Benjamin Mitchell, “By expanding service locations, we are bringing these essential services closer to where people live and work. While we are thrilled to offer this additional capacity, appointments remain limited, and we encourage everyone to book as soon as the windows open.” Appointments are required; learn more here.

JeffCo Shredathon
Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to noon
Jefferson County Fairgrounds parking lot
Get a jump start on your spring cleaning at the Jefferson County Library Foundation spring Shred-a-Thon fundraiser. “Our Foundation typically holds this event each August,” explains JCLF Board President Ron Benson, “but because it is so popular, we are hosting the Shred-a-Thon earlier this year and at a much bigger location.” There is no charge for shredding, and for the first time, the foundation is partnering with Goodwill to collect old electronics on-site (no TVs or large applicances). There’s a suggested donation of $30 per vehicle.

Colfax Clean Up
Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
East Colfax Avenue
It’s time for spring cleaning. Join the Colfax BID project team and Give5 Mile High for a Colfax Clean Up, followed by parties at various businesses. There are four volunteer sites, get all the details here.

Larimer Vintage Market
Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Denver Central Market, 2669 Larimer Street
Browse through the goods of more than two dozen of the area’s best vintage vendors at this free market.

Carlotta Walls Storytime
Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Denver Book Society, 1700 Humboldt Street
During Storytime, Carlotta Walls LaNier, the youngest of the Little Rock Nine, will share the true story of a girl, a dress, and the historic fight to attend an all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the ’50s. Reserve your spot here.

Block Party on Blake Street
Saturday, April 18, noon to 6 p.m.
33rd and Blake streets
Join the businesses at 33rd and Blake for an open house block party with visiting artists, food and beverages, a ceramics market, special deals and more.

Denver Tennis Park Community Fest
Saturday, April 18, 1 to 4 p.m.
Denver Tennis Park, 1560 South Franklin Street
The Denver Tennis Park is hosting a Community Fest with food, entertainment including the Montbello Drumline, and on-court tennis activitiesfor kids and families highlighting the Advantage Kids and Colorado SERVES programs. RSVP here.

Colorado Music & Literary Legends: Gregory Hill and Zach Boddicker
Saturday, April 18, 6 to 8 p.m.
Vintology, 233 Main Street, Longmont
Daisy Dog Press presents Gregory Hill (Sister Liberty) and Zach Boddicker (The Shih-Tsu) for an evening of book and song.

The Wild Honey Pie Little Pizza Party With Elephant Revival
Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m.
Rivian Space, 2763 Blake Street
Don’t miss the Wild Honey Pie Little Pizza Party, complete with a special 4-song mini acoustic trio performance and live session with Elephant Revival, and endless yummy slices from Redeemer Pizza. Space is limited, and you must RSVP by 5 p.m. today.

Habitat Library: Alberto Rios and A Small Story About the Sky
Sunday, April 19, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
Habitat Library continues its Sunday morning walk. This time the route is across the prairie in the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, with stops to discuss two poems by Alberto Ríos, a writer very familiar with the arid grasslands of the West. Space is very limited; contact jeff@habitatlibrary.co.site.

Pollinator Power Hour
Sunday, April 19, 11 a.m. to noon
Rally Hotel, 1600 20th Street
In a partnership with the Butterfly Pavilion, the Rally Hotel lobby is transformed into an educational hub every Sunday morning, when you can engage in hands-on learning about Colorado’s essential pollinators, complete with preserved specimen displays.

Sexy Chemistry Broadway Block Party
Sunday, April 19, noon to 7 p.m.
1724 South Broadway
Join Good Chemistry & Sexy Pizza for a free block party with local vendors, food and a great music lineup starting at 1 p.m. Read all about it here.

Spring Into Art Faire
Sunday, April 19, 1 to 5 p.m.
Sexploratorium, 1800 South Broadway
Just down Broadway from the Sexy Chemistry Block Party, you’ll find the Spring Into Art Faire, a playful, provocative art market. Artists will be on hand, and you can explore the museum for free.

Ongoing

SCFD Free Days
Locations and dates vary
Thanks to the sales tax you pay into the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, many arts institutions around the metro area offer occasional free days and programs. For example, there’s no admission charge at the CELL on Friday, April 17. For more bargains, check the SCFD site.

Colorado State Capitol Tours
Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
200 East Colfax Avenue|
The Capitol is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free guided tours are available, but limited to thirty people on a first come, first served basis. Check in at the Visitor Information Desk, which opens at 9 a.m.

America 250 – Colorado 150
Through 2026
Around the state
Happy 150th birthday, Colorado! On August 1, 1876, Colorado became a state, and there will be celebrations all year — at the same time this country is celebrating its 250th anniversary. You can find a full list of the activities at Am250CO150.org, but don’t miss the already-open exhibits at the History Colorado Center: Moments That Made US, 38th Star: Colorado Becomes the Centennial State, and the new John Fielder show, Majestic Mountains.

Earth Day Colorado 2026: The Walls Project
Through the month
Around Aurora
Although Earth Day is officially April 22, Earth Day Colorado 2026 is a three-week Aurora initiative designed by The Walls Project to engage thousands of area youth, students, educators, families and community volunteers through hands-on environmental education, school garden and food forest expansion, public art initiatives, and community stewardship activities. Learn how you can participate here.

“We Are the Land”
Denver’s YouTube
On February 7, Landmark Preservation staff and the American Indian community celebrated the culmination of more than three years of work to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of Denver’s current American Indian population, as well as Tribal Nations with cultural and historic ties to the land that is now Denver, with the oral history project “We are the Land: American Indian Life, Legacy and Future in Denver.” The project includes an accompanying documentary produced by Off the Road Productions, “We Are the Land,” which is now available on Denver’s YouTube channel.

Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways
Through April 19, Fridays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sangres Art Guild’s 3rd Street Gallery, 59000 Highway 69, Westcliffe
Ready for a road trip? Celebrte Colorado’s sesquicentennial with a visit to Westcliffe, where 3rd Street Gallery has a traveling show of 52 photographs taken along Colorado’s Scenic and Historic Byways.

Do you know of a great free event? We update this list throughout the week; send information to editorial@westword.com.